Fundraising Guide for Cricket Clubs

Fundraising Guide for Cricket Clubs

CONTENTS Page Section 2 1 Introduction 3 2 How to fundraise 6 3 Legal issues to consider 7 4 NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser 8 5 Fundraising 11 6 Sponsorship / Additional Club revenue 13 7 Club Testimonials 15 8 Saving Money 16 9 Useful Websites and Resources

1Introduction Welcome to the ECB s Fundraising Guide for Cricket Clubs. This guide provides advice on how to go about fundraising at your cricket club, and includes suggestions on ways to organise events, run year round initiatives and gain sponsorship. Fundraising is such an important part of cricket clubs and how they can sustain themselves and develop for the future. Although there are funding schemes in place, available through the ECB and other sources these are limited so it is vital that clubs find other ways of generating income. It s important that we get the juniors and seniors together as it improves the atmosphere around the club and gives us a greater sense of community. It has been a bit of fun and we have raised money for the club as well. Overton Cricket Club, Hampshire Fundraising can also help to create camaraderie in cricket clubs as members work together to organise events with everyone coming together to enjoy them. As well as advice on fundraising, this guide also makes suggestions on how your club can save money by making changes in and around your club house and ground. Read on to find out more! If you require any further information about anything you read in this guide please email natwestcricketforce@ecb.co.uk 2

How to Fundraise your club needs to raise money and you ve decided you want to arrange a fundraising event but what do you do next? 2 Here are some pointers to help you to organise a successful fundraiser: Decide what event you want to hold. Look at previous fundraising events you have held or that have been held in your community to see what works best and what doesn t Choose a reliable group of people to help you organise and run the event Make a list of all the people you know (family, friends, colleagues, businesses etc) and work out how they can help you to find: A venue for the event Contacts Talent / Skills When looking to businesses for donations (for raffles, auctions etc) or sponsorship ask for in kind contributions or free use of equipment rather than cash as you re more likely to get a positive response Approach smaller businesses first as they are likely to appreciate the opportunity of advertising locally, and arrange face to face meetings rather than just sending out letters Invite interested businesses to the event to enjoy it and see what they re contributing to When networking, ensure that the responsibility is shared with others organising the event and set out achievable targets start with people you know even if you only know them a little. A good starting point is a members database so you can monitor their skills and those of families and friends Allow plenty of time to organise the event and set out a specific schedule to ensure that planning targets are met at the right time Set out a budget for organising the event and set a fundraising target. By considering the capacity of your venue and the predicted attendance you can set an admission price. Be careful - if the price is too high it will put people off, too low and it will severely reduce the final amount raised. Consider a cost plan What are your break even costs? How many people do we need to attend to break even? When do we start making money? 3

How to Fundraise Consider your target audience your club s members (playing and social), the local community and what event to organise and when Contact your local press and radio to have your event advertised. If you do this, send them a press release well in advance and keep chasing them up about it. If you re unable to get the press to attend your event, see if there is a budding photographer in your club and ask them to take photos and produce a write up to circulate afterwards. Make sure you have contingency plans in place in case of bad weather or if unforeseen circumstances mean the event must be cancelled / postponed. If you have a contract in place with a venue or service provider, ensure that you understand the cost implication on that contract if your event is cancelled / postponed Ensure that you work well with your neighbours in advance of your event to avoid any problems with noise levels or disturbances when your event happens Have a debrief after the event to discuss what went well and what can be improved for next time After the event, make sure you thank everyone involved including those that helped to organise, contribute and who attended to make the event a success (tell them how much was raised). Ask them for their details so they can be contacted about future events. 4

Say Thank You to all who contribute NatWest Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards. Lisa Phillimore, winner in the NatWest CricketForce category, receiving her award from Michael Vaughan, NatWest Cricket Ambassador 2 5

3 Legal Issues to consider It s very important than you are clear on the legal issues of your event and that somebody is identified as the person responsible for ensuring they are all covered. Venue Use - Contract, Cancellation Policy, Insurance, restrictions etc. Insurance Public Liability Health and Safety Number restrictions, First Aid, Fire Safety Licenses Food, alcohol, entertainment, gambling (for events such as Race Night, Casino Night etc) 6

NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser 4 The NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser is designed to encourage cricket clubs to organise events to raise funds for future NatWest CricketForce projects and bring clubs and communities closer together. By registering for this clubs are in with a chance to win prizes to help raise money, and win a visit from an England player to their ground. Clubs are also given materials to help publicise fundraising events and additional tools to help get their events off the ground. In its first year (2010), 148 clubs took part in the NatWest CricketForce Fundraiser, raising over 200,000, at an average of over 1,300 each. This is now an annual event held over the August Bank Holiday weekend and it s all set to be more and more successful each year. For more information go to www.ecb.co.uk/natwestcricketforcefundraiser 7

5 Fundraising Small Event (raise up to 250 approx) Quiz Night Duck Race 50 numbered ducks costing 1 each race down a river next to a pub. Races are sold four times over with prizes donated by members and local businesses. Check with your local council for any environmental issues this might raise Tug of War Snail / sheep / pig racing An event that is a bit different is more likely to attract the attention of everyone to come along and get involved Coffee and cake mornings Treasure Hunt Easter Egg Hunt In-club Fantasy League- now made easier by www.easyfantasycricket.com Tombola Bake sale Raffle tickets Football Scratch cards - sell in clubhouse/ pub- one winner- 50% prize, 50% club funds Fantasy Football Premier League - Members pay a set amount to have a team in a Fantasy League with a prize being extracted from the takings and the rest going to the club Sports results predictor For a sporting event (World Cup, European Championship etc) have members enter predictions of results with a set entry fee. Prize for winner/s from the takings with the remainder going to the club World Cup / League sweepstakes Each entrant in an event is chosen at random for a set cost with the winner getting a prize from the takings and the rest gong to the club 8

Fundraising Mid size event (raise 251-1000 approx) Poker Night Karaoke Night Comedy Night Bingo Night BBQ Night Themed Meal Night Stars in Their Eyes / X Factor / XXXX s Got Talent Night Slave Auction Auction of Promises Computer Games Competition Wii, Xbox etc Murder Mystery Night Cheese and Wine afternoon Charitable Cricket Match i.e. celebrities, fancy dress, past vs present, lads vs dads etc 6-a-side Tournament Car Boot Sale Village Fete Boxing Day swim Club Fun Day Organise a selection of events at your club s ground to keep everyone entertained including bouncy castle, gunge chair, boot sale, cake sale, fancy dress competition etc Junior Cricket Festival Get all your juniors together and also some from the surrounding area and host a junior festival at your ground. With the help of your groundsman you can set out a number of junior pitches and set a small fee per child or team. Along with a BBQ and other refreshments it can be a good day for the juniors and their parents Cricketers sponsored moustache growing Tree Planting donation per tree Club Calendar (Calendar Girls, Full Monty etc) Store Bag Packs Send a number of your club s juniors to a local supermarket (with permission) and pack grocery bags for customers, collecting donations whilst there 5 9

5 Fundraising Large Event (raise 1000-3000 approx) Race Night Band Day / Night Beer Festival Look for a sponsor for the event or individual barrel sponsors Casino Night Hog Roast Evening Sponsored walk / run / swim / bike ride Club Golf Day Bonfire / Fireworks night Auctions signed sports memorabilia 100 Club 10

Sponsorship / Additional Club revenue 1. Find a club Sponsor Put together a portfolio of your cricket club including its past successes, future plans and what you can offer a sponsor in terms of promotion and benefits. Arrange to meet local businesses and organisations to discuss. Don t just send letters, face to face communication can produce much better results and it gives you a chance to properly sell your club. 2. Match ball sponsors When approaching businesses for club sponsorship also discuss match ball sponsorship. If they can t invest as a main sponsor then something on a smaller scale is still a big help to the club 3. Advertising This is another great way of generating smaller amounts of income if a business isn t interested in full sponsorship. By offering advertising in the ways listed below, businesses will hopefully want to invest or provide discounts i.e. local catering business, local builders, hardware store (products and services relevant to your club) Advertising boards around the ground Match Programmes Website Match shirts 4. Cash back to club from local businesses Approach local businesses to discuss whether, in return for promoting that business to members, your club can claim back a small share of the profits from them using that particular product or service i.e. local taxi company, local restaurants for club dinners etc 5. Clubhouse hire Do you have a club house function room? If so, what is it doing when not in use for cricket purposes? It can be a real source of income as a perfect venue for parties, community meetings, keep fit classes etc. Why not do some research on local hiring costs and set out a plan to hire out your function room 6 11

6 Sponsorship / Additional Club revenue 6. Car Parking Again, when your ground is not in use for cricketing purposes, can your car park be used for something else? What events happen locally that could use car parking - sports matches, community events etc? Find some willing volunteers from your club to attend the car park and charge a reasonable amount per car and all profits will go to the club. 7. Buy a brick When planning construction at your ground, raise money by asking members of the club and local community to contribute to the cost by buying a brick for a set cost, say 5 each. To help attract people to do this you can promise to erect a board or plaque at the club with the names of everyone that made a contribution 8. Subs/fees Rather than paying for annual membership in one bulk payment, break down the payment into monthly / quarterly sub payments which members may find easier to manage. Annual membership can be very high and rather than have some avoid paying for it altogether, having it in broken down payments is preferable 9. Credit / debit card machines By installing a credit / debit card in your bar you are giving your members and customers an extra option for paying for drinks and snacks rather than them being restricted by cash. This may help to encourage them to stay longer and spend more! 10. Install Sky Sports at your club By installing Sky and showing the huge range of sporting events that they offer you can attract more of your members and the local community into your bar. Sky Sports have a special offer exclusively for ECB affiliated clubs at www.ecb.co.uk/development 12

Club Testimonials Don t just take our word for it about the importance and success of fundraising. Listed below are some fantastic examples of how other cricket clubs have done it: Banbury CC, Oxfordshire A great fundraiser that we ve had is a Themed Meal Night. One of the parents cooked an array of Indian dishes, which all members families were invited to come and enjoy. This was on a Saturday evening after a league game and the club made circa 650 including raffle and bar. Bradenham CC, Norfolk For the last 2 years we have held a summer hog roast evening. In 2009 we sold 220 tickets giving a profit of 1700 after. Last year, numbers reduced slightly to 200 with a reduced profit of 1500. Such nights do pull the club together with all members asked to contribute something a salad, sweet or raffle prize with the expectation they all attend. 100 Club - Last year we sold 132 tickets at 10 each. Four monthly draws during the season with the end of season draw (top prize 250) on presentation night / end of season dinner. We took in 1320 with payout 55% (rules of any 100 club) so we made a profit of around 600. 7 Droitwich Spa CC, Worcestershire Our most popular fundraising event is our annual 6-a-side event held traditionally on August Bank Holiday. It normally involves 8 social teams and gets plenty of people to the club to cheer along many non-cricketers who otherwise wouldn t play on our pitch. We do also occasionally pick up genuine cricketers from these events, but all have a good time and we have some real rivalry between the local teams who talk about it through the year. It normally raises between 600 and 1000 depending on the weather. Fishlake CC, Yorkshire One of our major fundraisers without fail is our Bonfire & Fireworks display every year. This is open to the public not just members, so we get new money into the club which is vital; raising our profile in the community. We provide hot food for sale in the kitchen and on the BBQ, have a bottle bar, inside main bar, sell items such as glow sticks, flashing wands, charge an entry fee on the gate of 1.50 and generally raise 3000 profit. Its hard work for one night but well worth the effort and our display is amazing. 13

7 Club Testimonials Follifoot CC, Yorkshire On Good Friday we have a cheese and wine afternoon, this is always at the start of the season, the juniors have a net, the guys have a beer and the girls have a proper catch up after the winter. We raise around 500 with food, raffle and bar takings; we give all our NatWest CricketForce volunteers a free ticket for the event and charge guests. It s good for the club because it gets everyone together at the start of the season, includes juniors, parents, players and villagers, it means that we make contact with everyone before the season starts and sets us up for the rest of the season. At the end of the season, we also hold a Family Fun Day with the local Scouts, we use all their tents, we hire games and offer stalls to the community and everyone who wants to have a stall/game/stand/space. Last year we split the funds with the scouts and made 1300 each on a very rainy day. It s good for the club because we share the workload and the resources but brings the club and the whole community together. We get the local church, W.I., tennis group etc to each run a stall; we have a ducking stool and a lot of fun! Ledsham CC, Yorkshire We made money, had a great day out and 40 kids enjoyed playing fast, furious and fun cricket. We didn t stop from dawn till dusk (small club means not very far to spread the load) but we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The icing on the cake was the fact that we raised about 300 so in a few years time we will be able to afford toilets and running water! Workington CC, Cumbria Valentine Rock (Named after our Ground - Ernest Valentine Ground) We started at 12:00pm and finished 10:30pm. Some 14 live bands playing a good cross section of music. The event was manned by our own volunteers and volunteers from local community. We also had to hire 4 to 6 security staff as part of the licence. We used a large marquee as a stage & a large artic wagon for another. Sound system & lights hired in / free as a donation for the event. Temporary bars outside in marquees / purpose made converted ISO containers. Most bands played for free / few beers & a feed. Couple from away were paid expenses. Sponsors were plenty, donations between 25 and 200. Each had a large advertising banner made & displayed by the stages. Tickets were 10 and total profit was 2,800. It s an awful lot of work for our event organiser, but it provides a great deal of enjoyment to many. 14

Saving Money As well as fundraising it s also important for your club to consider how it can save money. There are lots of ways this can be done, be it in and around your ground or when making purchases for your club. Below are some suggestions and websites for you to consider: Club Management Go Green Consider making changes around your club house and ground that can save you money and energy at the same time. For example: Switch to low energy light bulbs Control temperatures Adjust your thermostat accordingly during the Summer and Winter Install double glazing windows and doors Rainwater harvesting / waterbutts Energy efficient boilers Improve insulation Solar Panels short term investment for long term savings Utility bills assessment Beat That Quote www.beatthatquote.com Business Energy Direct ecb@businessenergydirect.co.uk Have your energy bills assessed to see if you could make savings by switching providers 8 15

9 Useful Websites and Resources The following websites feature useful tips and suggestions for raising money: www.express-bingo.co.uk/acatalog/ fundraising-products.html Supplier of a variety of fundraising products to support you in some of the events and schemes we ve suggested in this booklet www.easyfundraising.org.uk Choose from over 2000 retailers and earn 15% on purchases for your club www.ideasfundraising.co.uk Great ideas to help you with fundraising for your club www.fundraising.co.uk An online resource and community for professional charity fundraisers. Published online since 1994 it features daily news, jobs, training courses, blogs, discussion, comment, and alerts, designed to help fundraisers improve their effectiveness www.thefundraisingdirectory.co.uk A world of ideas, information and contacts for all UK fundraisers www.raisingfunding.co.uk Offers a unique reference point on fundraising opportunities, activities and regulations www.how2fundraise.org A portfolio of resources for fundraisers throughout the UK, provided by the Institute of Fundraising www.fundrazor.com Fundrazor.com can help you to raise 100s the easy way by taking your club to top entertainment events and attractions. www.cascinfo.co.uk Find out more about applying for Community Amateur Sports Club status. This website features the benefits to becoming a CASC and the criteria you need to fill www.charity-commision.gov.uk Find out more about applying for Charitable Status. This website will tell you more about what this means for your club and the criteria you need to fill www.ecb.co.uk/funding This website highlights the current funding programmes run by the ECB. You can also download the Sources of Grant Aid for Cricket Clubs booklet 16

The following websites feature useful tips and suggestions for saving money: www.carbontrust.co.uk The Carbon Trust is a not for profit company providing specialist support to help businesses and the public sector cut carbon emissions and save energy. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk The Energy Saving Trust provides information on being more energy efficient, saving money on energy bills, saving water and reducing waste. www.cityfurnitureclearance.co.uk Clearance hotel and bar furniture at low prices that have been cleared due to hotels undergoing refurbishment. Take the time to have a look and you may get a bargain or two! www.freecycle.org Ex-home items given away for free rather than thrown on the tip. Sign up to the website and get email alerts about products available in your area. www.gumtree.com Loads of furniture and electrical items from people who want to get rid of them quickly and cheaply it s full of bargains. 9 www.preloved.co.uk This website is packed with nearly new and really old bargains in over 500 different categories. www.trade-secret.co.uk Offers high street furniture that has been returned or cancelled at up to half the original price. www.buyersandsellersonline.co.uk Discount kitchen appliances, integrated appliances and free standing appliances with free delivery. www.homesandbargains.co.uk money-saving website for homeowners, featuring the latest sales and vouchers on everything from kitchens to cushions as well as regular competitions, inspiration and ideas for the home www.natwest.com/cricket Find out how NatWest is supporting cricket at every level and download the NatWest Cricket Club Guide A tool to assist in the matter of managing club finances a must have for all Treasurers! The links provided on this document are for your convenience; if you decide to use the linked websites, you do so at your own risk and will be subject to their terms and conditions. The ECB cannot be responsible for or liable in any way for any loss or damage which you may suffer from commercial transactions with such organisations and our privacy policy does not apply to them. 17

England and Wales Cricket Board Lord s Cricket Ground, London, NW8 8QZ T: 020 7432 1200 F: 020 7289 5619 www.ecb.co.uk From playground to Test arena 2011